Apparatus for tanning



(No Model.)

L. SIMPSON & LDAVIS.

APPARATUS FOR TANNING. No. 313,543,. Patented Mar. 10, 1885.

JMQ NW Nv PETERS. Phulo-L|thngraphun Washinglau. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LENOX SIMPSON, OF PITTSBURG, AND JOHN DAVIS, OF ALLEGHENY OITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

' APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,543, dated March 10, 1885.

Application filed September 16, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LENOX SIMPSON, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and JOHN DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny City, county and State aforesaid, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Tanning, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

, Our invention relates to that class of tanning apparatus in which a revolving exhaustcylinder is used; and it consists in means whereby the handling and treating of the hides are facilitated, and also in the various connections and adjuncts of the cylinder, sub stantially as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus with the cylinder or tanning-vat shown in longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a perspective section of the hide-frame used. in the cylinder or tanning-vat. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the tanning-vat.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

A is a cylinder, of wood or other suitable material, which in practice is from nine to twelve feet long and from six to ten feet in diameter. This cylinder is provided upon its periphery with bands of iron, a a. The bands a are formed of angle-iron, and serve the double function of strengthening the cylinder and of preventing it from slipping (longitudinally) on the friction-wheels B. Said wheels B are preferably six in number, three on either side of the vat. Each triplet of wheels is carried by a shaft having bearings extending upwardly from the earth, floor, or bed-plate, as the case may be. One of said shafts b extends outwardly some distance beyond the end of the vat, and is provided with a worm-Wheel, b, with which gears a worm, If, by means of which the shaft b, its wheels, and the cylinder" A are revolved.

Within the cylinder A, and running longitudinally of same, are secured four tracks, a for the purpose hereinafter described.

0 0 represent two hollow necks provided at their outer extremities with stuffing-boxes 00. Through said necks run fixed copper or alloy discharge and feed pipes D D. To the external extremities of said pipeD is secured a section of flexible pipe, d. The purpose of said flexible pipe is to allow play to the feedg extending vertically above pipe E is the exhaust-pipe F, whose upper extremity is connected with an air-pump. (Not shown.) Said pipe F extends through the trunnion or neck and rises vertically from the central line of the cylinder nearly to the top of same.

Secured to pipe F, and having connection with the interior of same,is a glass gage, f, by means of which the height of the liquor within the cylinder (when the latter is more than half full) is ascertained. Connected with the up per portion of said pipe F is an exhaust-gage, f, by means of which the number of pounds of air-pressure removed from the cylinder by the air-pump is shown.

The pipe d is provided with a cook, (1 and its free extremity is connected with a supplytank, G. An air-supply pipe, dflwith a cock, d, extends upwardly from the outer end of pipe D, and is designed to allow ingress of air to the cylinder at the termination of an exhaust. By this construction it will be seen, first, that when the cocks d e are open the liquor contained in the supply-tank will flow through pipes 01 1), cylinder A, pipes D and E, and thence to the leaching-vat; second, that when the cook 01 is open and cock 6 closed the cylinder may be more or less filled with liquor, and the height of said liquor indicated by the glass gage; third, that when the cylinder is not quite filled with liquor and both cocks closed the air may be practically exhausted from the cylinder; and, fourth, that i in partial darkness.

and gages.

hook upon the end of the rope is adapted to when it is pushed within the cylinder.

in the frame in the building or room where all this may be done while the cylinder is 0011- I tinuously revolving.

The cylinder A is provided with one fixed head, A, and one removable head, A To secure thelatter in place, we prefer to use the following means: Around the outside of the end of the cylinder we secure an angular annulus, a provided with a series of bolt-holes. The head A is of somewhat greater diameter than the cylinder, and is also provided with boltholes adapted to register with those in the annulus, and a gum or leather gasket, a, intervenes and separates the edge of the cylinder and the head. Bolts pass through the annulus and heads, and the head is forced against the gasket by means of nuts, thus insuring an absolutely air and liquid tight joint.

Embracing the neck 0 is an arm, H,whose upper extremity is hinged to a cross-beam, h. A rope, I, is provided with a hook at one end, and passes over a pulley secured to the framework upon which the supply-tank rests. The

engage with an eye secured to the cylinderhead, and by this means the head, when uubolted, is swung upward and out of the way. In front of the tank we provide a track, k, upon which travels atruck, K. Said truck is provided with a platform,to which is secured a second track, k, the rails of which (when the cylinder is in proper position) arein alignment with the two lower rails secured within the cylinder. Upon the track k rests the lower wheels of the hide-frame L. The latter is also provided with wheels at. its upper corners, which travel along the upper rails of the cylinder, and these hold the frame firmly in place y this construction the hides may be hung withsaid hides are prepared. The frame may be then run out (on the truck) to the tanningcylinder and pushed into place within the latter. By the present method the operator must enter the cylinder through a man-hole, and have the hides handed to him one by one. He must, furthermore, handle his hides while By our method it will be seen that economy in time and labor is gained. \Ve do not wish, however, to confine ourselves to the use of the hide-frame, truck, &c., as the hides may be hung directly within the cylinder, the open head allowing free ingress and egress to the operator, and affording space for the entrance of light. A further advantage over the use of a man-hole in the side of the vat consists in the fact that all the portion of the vat over which the hole extends is necessarily left unoccupied, while with our open head the whole space within the cylinder is utilized. I

A further advantage possessed by our apparatus is the substitution for the receiving-tank ordinarily used of the pipes E F, their cock By our improvement considerable space is saved and the apparatus simplified and made less expensive.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

The removable head is unbolted and swung 7o upward, as heretofore described, the truck (carrying the hide-frame) is run in front of the cylinder, and the frame pushed in place. The removable head is then bolted firmly in place and the cooks d 6 opened. The liquor flowing from the supply-tank is allowed to enter the cylinder, and the latter is slowly revolved by the means heretofore described. After the cylinder has become half full, the waste passes out through pipes C DE and back into the leachingvat, where it is strengthened and returned to the supply-tank. At intervals both cocks d e are closed and the air exhausted from the cylinder, the latter continuing to revolve during the operation; also, at intervals the cock 6 may be closed and the tank completely filled with liquor and allowed to remain at rest. This last step may, however, be dispensed with, if deemed desirable. When the cylinder is not under exhaust and not completely full, a continuous flow of the liquor is kept up, thus constantly exposing the hides to fresh acid. The liquor is constantly increased in strength from the beginning to the end of the process, and may be warmed or not, according to the judgment of the operator.

We do not claim as our invention the withindescribed process of tanning; nor do we claim, broadly, the use of a revolving tanning-cylinder; but

What we claim is- 1. The combination, with the removable head A provided with neck 0, of the hinged arm H, loosely embracing said neck, substantially as described, whereby the head may be swung out, for the purpose set forth.

2. In tanning-vats, the combination, with a supply-tank, G, and a vat having a hollow neck, 0, of a feed-pipe, D, and a flexible pipe, d, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with head A and pipe D, of the flexible pipe (1, whereby the head may be swung outward without affecting the connection, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the cylinder A and wheels B, of the angled hoops a,whereby the cylinder is at the same time strengthened and prevented from longitudinal displacement, as set forth.

5. The combination of the pipe E, having cock e situated beneath the median line of the cylinder, and the exhaust-pipe E, as and for the purpose set forth. 1

6. The combination, with the pipe E, having cock 0 situated beneath the median line of the cylinder, of the pipe F, connected with pipe E below said median line, and provided with a fluidgage, substantially as described, for the purposes described.

7. The combination of the pipe E, having IIO cock 6 situated beneath the median line of the While the cylinder is revolved, substantially cylinder, of the pipe F, provided with an exas described.

haust-gage, substantially as described. LENOX SIMPSON.

8. The combination of the cylinder A, pro- JOHN DAVIS. 5 vided with tracks a and the hide-frame L, Witnesses:

provided with upper and lower Wheels adapt- J. A. KURTZ,

ed to roll upon said tracks andsecure the frame \V. D. THOMAS, 

